Australia's Vietnam : myth vs history / Mark Dapin.

Prepublication record (machine generated from publisher information)

Includes bibliographical references (pages 232-247) and index.

Machine generated contents note: 1.`In the way of a good story' -- The myths I helped to make -- 2.`I want 15,381 volunteers: you, you, you, you, you, you...' -- The myth of the volunteer in Vietnam -- 3.`And the winner is...' -- The myth of the rigged ballot -- 4.`Like thieves in the night...' -- The myth of no welcome home parades -- 5.Looking for atrocities in all the wrong places -- The myth of Australia's My Lai -- 6.Seething from a jet plane -- The myth of airport demonstrations -- 7.`Rapists' and `Baby killers!' -- Myths of blood, spit and jeers -- 8.`You calling me a liar?' -- Myth vs history -- conclusions -- 9.`Interviews with a vampire' -- The myth of my dad and other final thoughts.

Why everything you think you know about Australia’s Vietnam War is wrong. When Mark Dapin first interviewed Vietnam veterans and wrote about the war, he swallowed (and regurgitated) every misconception. He wasn’t alone. In Australia's Vietnam, Dapin reveals that every stage of Australia’s commitment to the Vietnam War has been misunderstood, misinterpreted and shrouded in myth. From Australian Army claims that every national serviceman was a volunteer; and the level of atrocities committed by Australian troops; to the belief there were no welcome home parades until the late 1980s and returned soldiers were met by angry protesters. Australia's Vietnam is a major contribution to the understanding of Australia’s experience of the war and will change the way we think about memory and military history.

Tertiary/Undergraduate.

General.